PORTSMOUTH — A portion of the sunken tugboat in the Piscataqua River became visible for the first time in days on Saturday when tow trucks pulled the vessel closer to shore.

The U.S. Coast Guard called the endeavor to relocate the ship Saturday “successful,” but reported oil booms were placed around the water to contain some diesel fuel leaking from the ship's hull. Officials stressed the matter is not a major environmental concern.

Timothy Balunis of the Northern New England Coast Guard in Portland, Maine, told Foster's officials are working to secure the vessel, which sank near the Memorial Bridge construction site on Wednesday.

After moving the ship, divers secured the tugboat and weighed it down further into the river floor, in advance of rough weather on the way from Hurricane Sandy. The storm is forecast to strike the area early next week.

Previously, divers installed caps to contain leaking fluids, Balunis said. He noted as of Saturday afternoon, passers-by would be able to see the tugboat peaking out of the water and observe some red-tinted fluid in the area surrounding it. Crews from an environmental clean-up company were still active at the scene Saturday evening, removing plastic bags filled with oil-soaked material.

“Fortunately, it went very well, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Balunis said. “The plan for today was to float the tug as much as possible and then to bring it close to shore using the tow trucks ... Those down there will be able to smell diesel, but we're doing what we can to minimize that, to absorb as much as possible. What was released we don't expect to have any impact to the environment.”

The tugboat, the Benjamin Bailey, is privately owned by the local towing company Riverside and Pickering Marine Contractors, based out of Eliot, Maine.

Balunis said two people aboard the “moored,” or docked, vessel were able to escape when it was pinned against a nearby barge last Wednesday, though specifics on exactly what transpired to cause the accident have yet to be revealed.

The boat's owner is in charge of the salvage operation, according to Carol Morris, a spokeswoman for Archer Western Contractors, though Balunis said the Coast Guard is overseeing the removal as “captain of the port.” The boat was being operated under contract with Archer Western Contractors at the time of the initial incident. Officials will work around the clock to free the tugboat entirely from the water, now that it has been removed from the barge. Balunis said officials plan to “dewater,” and possibly even remove, the vessel fully Sunday morning.

“Ideally, it will all be done in the next 24 hours,” Balunis said Saturday afternoon. “It really depends on our ability, on the condition of the hull, if there are any holes in it, and it also depends on the ability to get the vessel kind of flipped upright to pump all the water out.”

Balunis noted the investigation into why the boat capsized last week is ongoing. He said divers previously deployed did not see any holes in the boat.

“We're trying to figure out a safe plan and a timeline … just to take advantage of the weather we have now. That's the other factor,” he said, “to get as much done as possible before we start to see some remnants of the hurricane. I just want to emphasize, we had some good success today. Our goal is the safety of the people that are out there, the safety of the environment and then from there, getting the vessel refloated.”

At least 20 men were seen standing around the dock early Saturday morning as they strategized the boat's relocation. Several onlookers watched from an observation deck which was closed off to the public later in the day by the Portsmouth Police Department. An official told Foster's the effort was done to ensure the public's safety.